DES MOINES (AP) — Using automated cameras to enforce traffic laws in Iowa would be banned under legislation overwhelmingly approved Thursday by a House committee.
The issue has been hot one as cities turn to the cameras to catch motorists running red lights or speeding. Supporters — including police and many local officials — believe the cameras slow down motorists and improve public safety. But critics argue that the cameras are simply a way for municipalities to raise money, step on personal rights and take away police discretion.
"We're going down the road to infringing on freedom," said Rep. Walt Rogers, R-Cedar Falls. "We can keep our roads safe without doing that."
The bill, approved 15-6 by the House Transportation Committee, now goes to the full House for debate.
Under the plan, municipalities using the cameras would have until July to remove them. Others would be banned from using the cameras at all. Des Moines is among the cities that use the cameras. A lawsuit challenging Davenport's use of the cameras was rejected by the Iowa Supreme Court.
Rogers said residents are overwhelmingly against the cameras, which take away discretion from police or sheriff's deputies. He said it was just another way for local governments to make money off taxpayers.
"Public sentiment is important on this issue," he said. "I've got 10,000 signatures on my desk from people in Des Moines who hate these cameras."
But opponents of the bill said it's clear that the cameras make roads safer and that safety should be the top priority for lawmakers. They say there's nothing underhanded about the cameras, which are being used in cities around the state.
Police and law enforcement officials generally push for using the cameras, saying there's evidence that they slow down traffic. Rogers conceded that point, arguing that traffic through Cedar Rapids is slower since the cameras were put in place, but he said he can't accept the intrusion.
In looking for middle ground, Rep. Andrew Wenthe sought to allow the cameras but ease the fines that cities could charge, including setting the maximum red-light violation fine at $50. The West Union Democrat said that would be a compromise between people who want more safety and those worried about cities using the devices as a money-maker.
"I've talked to a lot of people in my district who support these cameras because they support public safety," he said. "I think there's little doubt that speed cameras make the roads safer. I don't think that's in dispute."
He later added: "I'm not ready to take away this law enforcement tool."
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